A blog about life under, and resisting, a dictatorship
Blog Sections
▼
Monday, April 25, 2011
Kate and William
Is there anyone among the readers of this blog that can possibly care less about that darned wedding than yours truly? Admittedly I am at a disadvantage by mentioning the embarrassing business......
gracias por ese comentario, Daniel. Thank you for that comment. I am sooo tired of hearing about the wedding, unfortunately also just as tired about the upcoming federal elections in Canada! The bickering of the politicians is pathetic.
You could keep handy a supply of Royal Wedding sick bags, in case you inadvertently come across a broadcast of the event. These are like the bags they used to keep in airplanes for passengers prone to air sickness. They come in two colors.
The bags come individually signed by the design artist, who shudders at the idea of people actually throwing up in one of her masterpieces.
“As they [the bags] say on the front, non-royalists may want to keep them handy on April 29.”
Here is the link to a review website: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/305878
If I was to care, which I don't, I would only care so far as to ask poor Will to take some clippers to those last few strands of hair on the top of his head and be done with it.
I watch little TV, so have not seen more than one announcement of it, however I don't give a hoot what others want to watch....most of what is on tv bores me just as much...
But I have so little interest in the "royalty" of Europe that I cannot even remember their names from one day to the next.
Fellow readers of VN&V: I beg to differ. As a resident of this glourious country, the United Kingdom of Great britain and Northern Ireland, so rich in history and tradition, where the government agency that runs our nearest park is called The Royal Landscape, where technically all of the land belongs to the Crown, I am proud of this event and jumping with joy at the fact that I will be 5000 miles away from it, in Miami, while the wedding takes place.
A few years ago I quit reading most news sites entirely. The last straw was an item on CNN's front page about a survivor in Nicaragua. I wondered: what kind of survivor? was it someone who had survived a kidnapping or maybe a bus wreck? No. The article was about someone who appeared on a season of the TV show "Survivor" when it was filmed in Nicaragua.
That stuff doesn't belong on a "news" page, and neither does a royal wedding. Unless accompanied by a tsunami or a suicide bomber.
I find myself tempted to simply jump on the bandwagon and say that I couldn't give a flip.
However, I do find myself having a passing interest, not so much as it relates to the royal couple themselves, so much as how it relates to the future of this anachronistic institution.
On one hand, I am tempted to say that the whole monarchy concept has no place in a modern democratic society, and should be tossed on the dust heap of history along with tribalism, feudalism, etc... However, it still seems to serve some function. By taking the role of titular head of state off the shoulders of the Prime Minister, it frees the real leader of the country from a slew of ceremonial obligations, allowing him/her to concentrate on the real job. In any case, so long as the status quo continues to function, England will not want to change the system. To do so, would require them to invent a "President", such as some other countries with parliamentary governments. These positions are even more ambiguous than that of Monarch. Look at Russia... They might as well simply declare Putin Tzar Vladimir I.
On a personal level, what interest I do have is pity for this poor couple, who probably just want to have a normal life, but through chance of birth, are doomed to live in a goldfish bowl. I will not be watching the wedding, but I wish them well.
It is so hard to believe that a wedding of any type can be more important than anything else in the world. This morning one of CNN´s outlet put an URGENT banner: One of the guards won´t be attending the ceremony due to some offensive comments he published in his Facebook page. Are you puking already?
I actually find the whole thing very amusing. Who got invited and why, and who didn’t get invited and why, the dress and who will design it, the venue, who will be wearing what. It’s not different that laughing at Charlie Sheen stupidity or watching Britney Spears shave her head. It’s just a show and that’s how I take it, as pure entertainment, so guys, sit back and relax...
This is on a more serious note. The symbol of the country, for many people, is the flag. Americans salute the flag with tears in thirs eyes, and use it to sell second hand cars. When someone burns their flag they get upset because it offends the dignity of the state and shows disdain for what the country represents. The British have a flag, but it has little significance. The real symbol of Britain (and of other monarchies such as Canada) is the monarch. The queen doesn't usually get burnt and voodoo doesn't count. The closest Her Majesty came to losing her dignity was when Chavez tried to give her a hug. In any case, I prefer to give allegiance to a person than to a flag. The guy who is getting married will be king one day (unless Chavez visits London again), and will be the symbol of the country. And nobody will use his picture to sell second hand cars. Antonio
Proud to be British ( English ) , proud we have the "Royals". As stated before its part of our rich history and tradition. But dont blame the happy couple for the news "over kill" blame the media , especially the american media , they cant seem to get enough of them. We have a once in a life time, maybe twice , Royal wedding and you have....weekly "Alo Presidente" . I know which id prefer to watch. p.s....Im also proud to be married to the most beautiful Venezuelan lady
I for one enjoy all the bizzare trappings that only the English can put together and make most folks salute. I mean, hell, don't you really wish we had The Master of the Gentlemans Chamberpot? Hell it's good stuff. Crazy, but good. The poms do Pomp like no one else, but they can back it up, which kinda makes it vaguely real.
Now release the Royals and Blues and Weird Scotish types, and commence the ceremony.
:) Also, for folks like me that don't travel well it is a feast for the eyes.
Hmm... such disdain for the Royal Couple, and yet I'm pretty sure at least some of you as children fantasized or role played being a prince, princess, king or queen. So at some primal level there is still some appeal.
My position is pretty similar to Roy's anyway. I'm neither sick of it nor enamored of the event. I think when you react with indifference to something then you can claim to you can't possibly care less about it. If it bothers you so much you feel a need to post about it, quite obviously you care enough to bitch about it!
Not right. My gripe is that news broadcast might be opening with K&W instead of, say, Syria body count. And as the wedding approaches more newscast open with that silly wedding. Hasta en la sopa chico!
"Proud to be British ( English )" Geez...what the hell does "pride" mean? What did you do to create "Britain"? How can you be proud or ashamed of something you did not even choose or create? Can an adopted child be as proud as you are? You can feel happy you were born in the country you were born or you had close-by access to whatever in Britain, but you hardly did anything to create that, no matter what you have achieved in your life.
What does Venezuela have to do with royals? Why should the existence of a Chavez or whatever increase the value of the "royals" as such? Why do you have to justify a special feeling for someone just because that someone happened to be derived from "royal" spermatozoa and "royal eggs"?
They are just a waste of money.
Roy etc:
I find, like Daniel, that it is annyoing to watch the news and instead of getting important stuff, one gets that stuff. I mean: they should put that kind of information in channels that report about Britney Spears. Luckily, ZDF/ARD evening news don't have much of it, but they should have nothing of it, it is just a waste of time, there should be channels for "gossipy/kitsch things".
Regarding "it's either Britain or Russia": no, it's not. You don't have kings in the US. And you don't have kings in Germany either. In the case of Germany they even use this president for such events as inaugirating so many buildings and receiving the biggest social system profiters on Earth (visits from the Belgian or British or Swedish royals, for instance) so that the chancellor can focus on more important things. And the election of president and chancelor are completely different from the Russian case, so you would not have such a case as in Russia now.
I suppose, as "bread and circuses" go, this is better then having gladiators fight to the death or throwing innocent people into a pit of hungry lions...
But, I agree with Daniel that the priorities of the news outlets are to be questioned. The media outlets should consider segregating this type of "news" from the hard news. In any network cable news channel, in a standard thirty minute segment, there might be five minutes of real "news", if you are lucky. The rest is all hype and fluff.
Pan y Circo, es lo que pienso, vamos a decir que son simpáticos, que necesitamos algo que nos cambie de tanta violencia, quizas hacen demasiada pub sobre esta boda,por fin algo más fresco sin mirar el negocion que puede ser, para recuperar fuerzas en contra de todos los dictadores y botarlos. La Maga Lee
Our monarchy is something to be proud of,part of our rich history going back hundreds of years and hopefully someting to have for hundreds of years more into the future.We have great pride in our royal family and they do many good things for our country and people. They are a great role model for many and are someting for us to be proud of and look upto with pride.I am a regular reader of this blog and knowing venezuelans lack of culture,identity,history and general ignorance of its people its not supprising to see some of the type of comments written here.( I have lived in venezuela -and married to a venezuelan)Jelousy and envy gets you no where.Chavez is the role model of venezuelans - I feel sorry for you.
Can you please define the concept "pride"/to be proud? For me you are proud for things you accomplish. Pride has to do with satisfaction for what you have done. You did nothing centuries ago. Did you get a sense of pride from your father's and mother's genetic material? Is an adoptd Briton less entitld to feel proud? Have they done something for you or has it been the system? And do you feel proud for transforming a prosperous country as India into a misery house? Do you feel proud for the genocides committed by the British in Africa and in Asia for centuries? The incredible racist stance? Was that also done by the King and Queen? And was the sense of pride passed unto you? Zulu revolt someone? Slave trade someone?
"We have great pride in our royal family" Yeah, the guy with the Nazi costum...very proud you should feel about him. "They are a great role model for many" In what sense? I thought great models were people who actually DID something, like Newton, like Turing, like even the Beatles.
"knowing venezuelans lack of culture,identity,history and general ignorance of its people" Not as different as Britons before the Roman conquest. Mind: 2 thousand years is nothing in history, if you do know what history means. And you know how Britain is overtaken now by several Asian countries right now, so a sense of perspective is at place.
"Jelousy and envy gets you no where." This is not about jelousy and envy. I am very aware for the lack of historic knowledge and identity in Venezuela, but I know history quite well myself to know where that comes from and to know individuals should feel less proud and look at the general picture. For one very general introduction to that: read Jared Diamond's work on Guns, Germsn and Steel. Perhaps that would be against your chauvinistic stance.
"Chavez is the role model of venezuelans". That is true for several millions, that is right. Thanks God not too many million Britons think someone is a role model because she happened to be the product of a pregnancy from someone who happened to be the product of a pregnancy from someone who happened to be the product of a pregnancy and so on until you get to someone who some lords decided to choose as "king" or "queen".
It is funny: precisely the people who produce and create more in society are the least who are so obsessed with wanting to be "proud" for their country.
And anyway: the case here is that that wedding is not news, it is part of the gossipy pages, just like Britney Spears getting drunk again in a car.
Whether one comes from Zimbabwe or from Norway, from Burma or from Japan one is as perfectly entitle to discuss the value of someone for its sake, independently from one's origin. What a Chauvi you are...I thought most of those had died when the British Empire died.
I am too old to have ordinary role models.I have known too many famous people, and have had too many experiences to be fooled by status and image( not that I ever was ;).
I do not hate royalty, it is just that it doesn't interest me.75 percent of my ancestors were British.Who cares?Thank God,I am what I am out of choice, out of spirit,and out of my own unique identity.
1) Comments are moderated after the sixth day of publication. It may take up to a day or two for your note to appear then.
2) Your post will appear if you follow the basic polite rules of discourse. I will be ruthless in erasing, as well as those who replied to any off rule comment.
My neighbour here in Toronto has purchased lawn gnomes featuring the Happy Royal Couple.
ReplyDeleteHe fears they will be vandalized; me too.
gracias por ese comentario, Daniel. Thank you for that comment. I am sooo tired of hearing about the wedding, unfortunately also just as tired about the upcoming federal elections in Canada! The bickering of the politicians is pathetic.
ReplyDeleteme too mate,i will never understand the fuzz about "royal" things. To me they're just rich people getting married,rich polititians.
ReplyDeleteSo,who cares?
Hey,people get married everyday.
I'll get married someday soon before or after i leave this country
I really couldn't care less.
ReplyDeleteI didn't care last summer when "our" princess got married, even though it was shoved down my throat on many occations.
Personally i dont see why I should care. Just to regular people, although spoiled, getting married.
But I have the feeling I should stay away from "regular media" for a couple of weeks a head. haha.
I came to this blog hoping to find a page where those names were not mentioned.
ReplyDeleteThank-you, Daniel.
Who? What wedding?
ReplyDeleteWedding? What wedding?
ReplyDeleteYou could keep handy a supply of Royal Wedding sick bags, in case you inadvertently come across a broadcast of the event. These are like the bags they used to keep in airplanes for passengers prone to air sickness. They come in two colors.
ReplyDeleteThe bags come individually signed by the design artist, who shudders at the idea of people actually throwing up in one of her masterpieces.
“As they [the bags] say on the front, non-royalists may want to keep them handy on April 29.”
Here is the link to a review website:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/305878
I hope this helps,
Antonio
If I was to care, which I don't, I would only care so far as to ask poor Will to take some clippers to those last few strands of hair on the top of his head and be done with it.
ReplyDeleteI watch little TV, so have not seen more than one announcement of it, however I don't give a hoot what others want to watch....most of what is on tv bores me just as much...
ReplyDeleteBut I have so little interest in the "royalty" of Europe that I cannot even remember their names from one day to the next.
Fellow readers of VN&V: I beg to differ.
ReplyDeleteAs a resident of this glourious country, the United Kingdom of Great britain and Northern Ireland, so rich in history and tradition, where the government agency that runs our nearest park is called The Royal Landscape, where technically all of the land belongs to the Crown, I am proud of this event and jumping with joy at the fact that I will be 5000 miles away from it, in Miami, while the wedding takes place.
I don't care enough to even comment on this post.
ReplyDeleteOoops! Wait, does that mean I DO care???
A few years ago I quit reading most news sites entirely. The last straw was an item on CNN's front page about a survivor in Nicaragua. I wondered: what kind of survivor? was it someone who had survived a kidnapping or maybe a bus wreck? No. The article was about someone who appeared on a season of the TV show "Survivor" when it was filmed in Nicaragua.
ReplyDeleteThat stuff doesn't belong on a "news" page, and neither does a royal wedding. Unless accompanied by a tsunami or a suicide bomber.
I find myself tempted to simply jump on the bandwagon and say that I couldn't give a flip.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do find myself having a passing interest, not so much as it relates to the royal couple themselves, so much as how it relates to the future of this anachronistic institution.
On one hand, I am tempted to say that the whole monarchy concept has no place in a modern democratic society, and should be tossed on the dust heap of history along with tribalism, feudalism, etc... However, it still seems to serve some function. By taking the role of titular head of state off the shoulders of the Prime Minister, it frees the real leader of the country from a slew of ceremonial obligations, allowing him/her to concentrate on the real job. In any case, so long as the status quo continues to function, England will not want to change the system. To do so, would require them to invent a "President", such as some other countries with parliamentary governments. These positions are even more ambiguous than that of Monarch. Look at Russia... They might as well simply declare Putin Tzar Vladimir I.
On a personal level, what interest I do have is pity for this poor couple, who probably just want to have a normal life, but through chance of birth, are doomed to live in a goldfish bowl. I will not be watching the wedding, but I wish them well.
It is so hard to believe that a wedding of any type can be more important than anything else in the world.
ReplyDeleteThis morning one of CNN´s outlet put an URGENT banner: One of the guards won´t be attending the ceremony due to some offensive comments he published in his Facebook page.
Are you puking already?
I actually find the whole thing very amusing. Who got invited and why, and who didn’t get invited and why, the dress and who will design it, the venue, who will be wearing what. It’s not different that laughing at Charlie Sheen stupidity or watching Britney Spears shave her head. It’s just a show and that’s how I take it, as pure entertainment, so guys, sit back and relax...
ReplyDeleteThis is on a more serious note. The symbol of the country, for many people, is the flag. Americans salute the flag with tears in thirs eyes, and use it to sell second hand cars. When someone burns their flag they get upset because it offends the dignity of the state and shows disdain for what the country represents. The British have a flag, but it has little significance. The real symbol of Britain (and of other monarchies such as Canada) is the monarch. The queen doesn't usually get burnt and voodoo doesn't count. The closest Her Majesty came to losing her dignity was when Chavez tried to give her a hug. In any case, I prefer to give allegiance to a person than to a flag. The guy who is getting married will be king one day (unless Chavez visits London again), and will be the symbol of the country. And nobody will use his picture to sell second hand cars.
ReplyDeleteAntonio
Proud to be British ( English ) , proud we have the "Royals". As stated before its part of our rich history and tradition.
ReplyDeleteBut dont blame the happy couple for the news "over kill" blame the media , especially the american media , they cant seem to get enough of them.
We have a once in a life time, maybe twice , Royal wedding and you have....weekly "Alo Presidente" . I know which id prefer to watch.
p.s....Im also proud to be married to the most beautiful Venezuelan lady
I for one enjoy all the bizzare trappings that only the English can put together and make most folks salute. I mean, hell, don't you really wish we had The Master of the Gentlemans Chamberpot? Hell it's good stuff. Crazy, but good. The poms do Pomp like no one else, but they can back it up, which kinda makes it vaguely real.
ReplyDeleteNow release the Royals and Blues and Weird Scotish types, and commence the ceremony.
:)
Also, for folks like me that don't travel well it is a feast for the eyes.
Hmm... such disdain for the Royal Couple, and yet I'm pretty sure at least some of you as children fantasized or role played being a prince, princess, king or queen. So at some primal level there is still some appeal.
ReplyDeleteMy position is pretty similar to Roy's anyway. I'm neither sick of it nor enamored of the event. I think when you react with indifference to something then you can claim to you can't possibly care less about it. If it bothers you so much you feel a need to post about it, quite obviously you care enough to bitch about it!
FC
ReplyDeleteNot right. My gripe is that news broadcast might be opening with K&W instead of, say, Syria body count. And as the wedding approaches more newscast open with that silly wedding. Hasta en la sopa chico!
"Proud to be British ( English )"
ReplyDeleteGeez...what the hell does "pride" mean?
What did you do to create "Britain"? How can you be proud or ashamed of something you did not even choose or create?
Can an adopted child be as proud as you are? You can feel happy you were born in the country you were born or you had close-by access to whatever in Britain, but you hardly did anything to create that, no matter what you have achieved in your life.
What does Venezuela have to do with royals? Why should the existence of a Chavez or whatever increase the value of the "royals" as such?
Why do you have to justify a special feeling for someone just because that someone happened to be derived from "royal" spermatozoa and "royal eggs"?
They are just a waste of money.
Roy etc:
I find, like Daniel, that it is annyoing to watch the news and instead of getting important stuff, one gets that stuff. I mean: they should put that kind of information in channels that report about Britney Spears. Luckily, ZDF/ARD evening news don't have much of it, but they should have nothing of it, it is just a waste of time, there should be channels for "gossipy/kitsch things".
Regarding "it's either Britain or Russia": no, it's not. You don't have kings in the US. And you don't have kings in Germany either. In the case of Germany they even use this president for such events as inaugirating so many buildings and receiving the biggest social system profiters on Earth (visits from the Belgian or British or Swedish royals, for instance) so that the chancellor can focus on more important things. And the election of president and chancelor are completely different from the Russian case, so you would not have such a case as in Russia now.
Daniel,
ReplyDeleteThat's why you have the internet!
I suppose, as "bread and circuses" go, this is better then having gladiators fight to the death or throwing innocent people into a pit of hungry lions...
ReplyDeleteBut, I agree with Daniel that the priorities of the news outlets are to be questioned. The media outlets should consider segregating this type of "news" from the hard news. In any network cable news channel, in a standard thirty minute segment, there might be five minutes of real "news", if you are lucky. The rest is all hype and fluff.
Pan y Circo, es lo que pienso, vamos a decir que son simpáticos, que necesitamos algo que nos cambie de tanta violencia, quizas hacen demasiada pub sobre esta boda,por fin algo más fresco sin mirar el negocion que puede ser, para recuperar fuerzas en contra de todos los dictadores y botarlos. La Maga Lee
ReplyDeleteOur monarchy is something to be proud of,part of our rich history going back hundreds of years and hopefully someting to have for hundreds of years more into the future.We have great pride in our royal family and they do many good things for our country and people. They are a great role model for many and are someting for us to be proud of and look upto with pride.I am a regular reader of this blog and knowing venezuelans lack of culture,identity,history and general ignorance of its people its not supprising to see some of the type of comments written here.( I have lived in venezuela -and married to a venezuelan)Jelousy and envy gets you no where.Chavez is the role model of venezuelans - I feel sorry for you.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteCan you please define the concept "pride"/to be proud? For me you are proud for things you accomplish. Pride has to do with satisfaction for what you have done. You did nothing centuries ago. Did you get a sense of pride
from your father's and mother's genetic material?
Is an adoptd Briton less entitld to feel proud?
Have they done something for you or has it been the system?
And do you feel proud for transforming a prosperous country as India into a misery house?
Do you feel proud for the genocides committed by the British in Africa and in Asia for centuries? The incredible racist stance? Was that also done by the King and Queen? And was the sense of pride passed unto you? Zulu revolt someone? Slave trade someone?
"We have great pride in our royal family"
Yeah, the guy with the Nazi costum...very proud you should feel about him.
"They are a great role model for many"
In what sense? I thought great models were people who actually DID something, like Newton,
like Turing, like even the Beatles.
"knowing venezuelans lack of culture,identity,history and general ignorance of its people"
Not as different as Britons before the Roman conquest. Mind: 2 thousand years is nothing in history, if you do know what history means. And you know how Britain is overtaken now by several Asian countries right now, so a sense of perspective is at place.
"Jelousy and envy gets you no where."
This is not about jelousy and envy. I am very aware for the lack of historic knowledge and identity in Venezuela, but I know history quite well myself to know where that comes from and to know individuals should feel less proud and look at the general picture. For one very general introduction to that: read Jared Diamond's work on Guns, Germsn and Steel. Perhaps that would be against your chauvinistic stance.
"Chavez is the role model of venezuelans". That is true for several millions, that is right.
Thanks God not too many million Britons think someone is a role model because she happened to be the product of a pregnancy from someone who happened to be the product of a pregnancy from someone who happened to be the product of a pregnancy and so on until you get to someone who some lords decided to choose as "king" or "queen".
It is funny: precisely the people who produce and create more in society are the least who are so obsessed with wanting to be "proud" for their country.
And anyway: the case here is that that wedding is not news, it is part of the gossipy pages, just like Britney Spears getting drunk again in a car.
Whether one comes from Zimbabwe or from Norway, from Burma or from Japan one is as perfectly entitle to discuss the value of someone for its sake, independently from one's origin. What a Chauvi you are...I thought most of those had died when the British Empire died.
Dear Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI think you are mistaken here.
I am too old to have ordinary role models.I have known too many famous people, and have had too many experiences to be fooled by status and image( not that I ever was ;).
I do not hate royalty, it is just that it doesn't interest me.75 percent of my ancestors were British.Who cares?Thank God,I am what I am out of choice, out of spirit,and out of my own unique identity.
Daniel that would be me and I'm English. I fully intend to avoid all news, TV and radio for the next week or two.
ReplyDeleteNice to have an extra day off work though. ;)
Beauty arises from the true hearted.The poet Laureate Duffy has composed lovely verse for the Royal Wedding.
ReplyDelete" Rings"
I might
have opened your palm to the weather, turned, turned…
I might have raised your hand to the sky…
or given the ring of a boat, rowing the lake,
or the ring of swans, monogamous, two,
or the watery rings made by the fish”